Can OU and OSU rebound from their defeats?
OSU lost at home to TCU 44-31 on Sept. 23, and we just thought that was a squishy performance. We saw the real deal when OU lost at home to Iowa State 38-31 Saturday.
And suddenly, a grand college football season in our state had sprung a leak. Just a few weeks ago, we envisioned a Nov. 4 Bedlam for the ages, a battle of unbeatens that would be a mere scene-setter for a Bedlam Big 12 title game with a College Football
Playoff berth on the line.
Now, at best, Bedlam would seem to be for a berth in Arlington.
But then came some hope from the recent past. The current playoff system has crowned three champions. All three champs lost home games, two of them to unranked foes.
In September 2014, eighth-ranked Ohio State lost 35-21 at home to unranked Virginia Tech, which went on to finish 6-6 before beating Cincinnati in the Military Bowl. Those Buckeyes rallied to make the playoff, where it beat both Alabama and Oregon.
In October 2015, second-ranked Alabama lost 43-37 at home to No. 15 Ole Miss, which went on to finish 10-3 with a 48-20 Sugar Bowl victory over OSU. That Crimson Tide team still made the playoff, where it beat both Michigan State and Clemson.
In November 2016, third-ranked Clemson lost 43-42 at home to unranked Pittsburgh, which went on to finish 8-5 with a Pinstripe Bowl loss to Northwestern.
So there is hope from the abyss of inexplicable defeats. The Bedlam rivals haven’t deviated off course. Heck, the Cowboys, especially, have a path to follow, since the team that beat them could be awaiting in Arlington. If OSU wins out and goes 12-1, few would hold that loss against the Cowboys.
Now, OSU will have to play much better than it played against the Frogs – and better than it played in Lubbock, two weeks ago, in bouncing Texas Tech 41-34. But absolutely the Cowboys remain in the race.
And so do the Sooners, though not for long with anything remotely resembling their performance against Iowa State. The solitary losses of each of the last three national champs shows us that defense can come and go even for the greatest of squads. But OU’s defense seems to go far too much to get optimistic about another valiant stretch run for the Sooners.
Of course, unbeaten TCU can end all the discussion by continuing to win. And here’s what we don’t know. If OSU or OU or TCU get to the finish line at 12-1, and there’s still serious debate, will the Big 12 be downgraded in discussions?
Until further notice, the Big 12’s status in the
national consciousness – and that includes the 13 minds that make up the playoff committee – remains weak.
In 2014, the only year in which serious mystery existed in determining the four-team field, the Big 12 drew the short straw. Ohio State in; Baylor and TCU out. And while 10-2 OU didn’t have a convincing argument for making the bracket last December, committee chairman Jeff Long still had disparaging remarks about the Sooners that perpetuated the no-defense storyline of the Big 12. Which might very well be true but was completely beside the point. OU missed the playoff not because of defense, but because defeats, to both Houston and Ohio
State.
2017 is a little different. The Sooners’ victory at Ohio State lifts all boats. If OU gets back to 12-1, and the Buckeyes don’t collapse, that win in the Horseshoe will shine. But even if OU is not the Big 12’s designated contender, the Cowboys or the Horned Frogs would benefit from the Sooners’ victory over the Buckeyes, provided both OU and Ohio State finish reasonably well.
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So there is hope from the abyss of inexplicable defeats. The Bedlam rivals haven’t deviated off course. Heck, the Cowboys, especially, have a path to follow, since the team that beat them could be awaiting in Arlington.